


Two's company, Three's a crowd

by Fidollwa



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur: the world's most eligible meat bag, This poor child, who knows - Freeform, why are all these assholes in caves?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23137468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fidollwa/pseuds/Fidollwa
Summary: Arthur was always a magnet for trouble. Few people, however, knew just how much trouble.Even with that things were mostly fine until one of his best friends decided they should go out and hunt down ghosts for fun. He didn't know what he did in a past life to deserve this but karma just seemed to like biting him in the ass. Now he's got to fend off actual ghosts and hope his friends don't decide to exorcise him.Or: an au where Arthur is too popular with the supernatural, much to the frustration of a long time friend who also happens to be a demon
Comments: 6
Kudos: 81





	1. Chapter 1

The best time for exploring was probably right after dinner. 

The sun wasn’t so harsh, the air was cooler, and he wasn’t going to be missed for a while. Arthur kept walking, kicking up the leaves underfoot. He wasn’t scared to venture out so far since he’d been doing since he was little. His dad used to take them camping a few times when he was younger. They hadn’t been in a while. 

But he’d been exploring near everyday that summer and his parents hadn’t noticed yet. Arthur grinned as a small stream came into view. He was careful to stay on the edge, seeing that there was a bit of drop to the water. That and the last time Arthur had gone traipsing around in a creak he’d come out on the other side with the remnants of a crawdad smashed into the treads of his shoe. 

Instead he walked along the edge, picking up little rocks as he went. He hummed as he turned a pebble around in his fingers. Interesting ones went in his pockets. Plain looking ones got tossed into the water. Arthur had a small, secret jar at home full of them. He got bored of the gray ones pretty quick, so his standards were pretty high. 

He was scanning the edge when a flash caught his eye. There down in the water was something shiny. Arthur could barely contain his excitement as he got closer. He glanced down for a moment before deciding not to risk his shoes. Arthur got down on the ground, flat on his belly. About a foot or so away from the water he could smell the dead leaves and the mud. Arthur carefully stretched out a hand, tongue sticking out as he reached for the rock. Whatever it was caught the light from the fading sun in way that would catch anyone’s eye. 

Just as his fingers brushed against its edge, Arthur felt himself start to slip. In that half second, he tried to grab onto anything to stop himself but the muddy ground gave way under his hands. Arthur fell face first into the water.

Immediately he got a nose full of water and felt a sharp sting above his eye. Arthur sputtered, coughing and hacking as he pushed himself up. Luckily the water wasn’t that deep. His forehead really stung though and so did his eye. Arthur blinked, hand over his eye as he stood up. His hand came away red.

He blinked at his fingers for a moment before looking down at the water. Red stained his reflection. It started right above his right eyebrow and streamed down his face and into his eye. Right next to his feet was the shiny rock he saw that started this whole mess. Arthur bent down to pick it up and his face fell.

It was just a piece of glass. Green and from the shape of it probably a part of a bottle, the edge coming to sharp and wicked point. Arthur groaned and chucked it down stream as hard as he could. It landed with a splash but it wasn’t very satisfying with the wet clothes and all.

Arthur touched at the cut again and winced. Well, so much for the adventuring today. He dreaded going home like this though. Mom was going to hate all the mud. Maybe he could wash his clothes a bit?

The sweatshirt was gross and waterlogged as he pulled it over his head. From the red on it he might’ve gotten stained it more by taking it off. Arthur dunked it in the creak, giving it a good shake. Clouds of red bloomed off it and flowed away with the rest of the water. No mater how hard Arthur scrubbed at it, the stains wouldn’t go away completely. He groaned, glancing up towards the sky. The sun was about gone and it was going to get cold soon. 

He didn’t really want to put the sweatshirt back on, so Arthur tied the sleeves around his waist. Just as he went to climb out of the creak, he heard something behind him. Arthur yelped and turned around but nothing was there. 

Maybe it was just his imagination? His heart was pounding.

But no, he could still hear it. It wasn’t behind him now but a ways off. It sounded like someone was crying.

Arthur glanced back the way he came. He shouldn’t take too long getting back. Especially since his mom was already going to be mad at him. But whoever it was sounded sad or hurt. Making sure nothing was underfoot, Arthur started walking. The crying got louder the further he went. Arthur shivered against the breeze, rubbing his arms.

“Hello?” He called. Despite his small voice it seemed to echo through the trees.

The crying abruptly stopped. Arthur did too and wondered if he scared them off. Looking around, he kept walking in the stream. His splashing seemed too loud. Maybe they were shy. Arthur swallowed, going to call out again.

“Hello? My name’s Arthur.”

As the stream continued, the ground started to get rockier. The embankments on either side of the water rose until they were over Arthur’s head. He was in a mini valley now, the rock carved open by water and time.

“Are you okay?” Arthur hugged himself, shivering again. He glanced back and wondered if he should go home already. The weight of his clothes was uncomfortable and cold and he was still bleeding. 

Almost like they were responding to his thoughts, the crying started again. Softer this time but much closer than before. As Arthur rounded a bend in the creak he found the source. A small cave in the side of the wall facing the creak. The water was especially low here, only a few inches that flowed around his sneakers. Gravel crunched underfoot as Arthur neared. His nervousness had taken a back seat to amazement.

How had he never found this? He’d been exploring out here for months!

Before he could think about what a neat little hideout he could make, a voice called out. Arthur jumped back a bit before swallowing. Whatever they said was too quiet for him to actually understand. Carefully, Arthur took a step forward, standing before the mouth of the cave and looking inside as far as the light would go. 

Considering the hour, it wasn’t very far.

“Hello?” Arthur yelled as he could.

“Who… are you?”

The voice seemed to echo back in an answer. It was difficult to tell who or where they were in the cave since it seemed to bounce around too much. He still couldn’t see whoever it was that said it. When Arthur shivered this time it wasn't from the cold.

He hesitated a moment before answering. “I’m Arthur.”

“Are you hurt?”

Arthur blinked. He was supposed to be asking them that! He almost poked at the cut on his forehead again. At least it didn’t sting as much now. “How did you know?”

“We smelled it,” they echoed. “Thought you might’ve been a deer.”

“Smelled it?” Arthur took a step forward, trying to catch sight of them in the dark. “I can’t even smell it.”

“We have a good sense of smell,” they almost sounded amused.

Arthur glanced back, still aware of the time. “What about you?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”

After a moment of silence Arthur was about to yell the question again before he heard laughing.

“No. Not anymore than we already are.” A pause. “How old are you, Arthur?”

“Eleven.”

“Ah.”

Arthur shifted nervously, kicking at the gravel underfoot. “I’m not a kid though! My dad says I’m mature for my age.”

“We see. Perhaps you’ll do.” 

Arthur could hear something scraping against the rocks further in. He leaned forward a bit, squinting against the darkness. Maybe the needed help walking? Arthur started forward, carefully so he didn’t trip. 

Though that didn’t matter much when something unseen wrapped around his ankle. Arthur yelped as he was suddenly yanked off of his feet. His back stung as he hit the ground and before he could recover, the thing was pulling at his leg. Arthur screamed, scrabbling at the ground and breaking a few nails in the process. 

His hands caught on a rough ledge and he pulled against the force, kicking out against it with his other leg. Briefly the pressure on his ankle lessened. Arthur managed to pull himself forward a bit, getting a foot underneath him again and ready to run like his life depended on it, almost to the mouth of the cave again.

Something caught his other foot and roughly yanked him back in.


	2. Chapter 2

The next thing Arthur was aware of, he was tucked safely into his bed. Arthur blinked up at the ceiling. Had he been dreaming? It felt like one except he didn't even remember going to bed. Everything looked and felt the same. The little glowy stars on his ceiling were still there and his blankets felt like he remembered they did.

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The room was dark except for the light peeking out from under his bedroom door. At some point he'd apparently changed into pajamas. Remembering being dragged into the cave made Arthur curl up in bed hugging his legs to his chest. 

"Just a dream," Arthur whispered to himself, "just a dream."

_Is it?_

Arthur jumped, barely stifling a scream, and frantically looked around his room. It was the same voice from before. From what had to be a dream. It seemed like it was right next to him!

_You're frightened._

"Where are you?" Arthur crawled back on his bed. Wedging himself in the corner, he tried to make himself smaller. 

_With you._

Arthur tried to cover his ears, shaking his head. Just a dream, just a dream! As he did though, he felt something rough on his hands. His terror only mounted when he realized his hands were covered in bandaids.

_Not a dream._

The voice seemed to coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. Arthur spun around, eyes wide. There was nothing but him in the room. Just to make sure, Arthur cautiously leaned over the side of the bed and looked underneath. Nothing but dust and a few boxes. Every time the thing spoke Arthur flinched at the sound.

_We came home. Your mother was angry._

It must've walked right in, mud and all. His mother would've been furious since these were pretty new clothes too. The thought of someone else coming home, in his body, and getting yelled at by his mom was weird. Arthur bit his lip and wrung his blanket in his hands.

"Did you hurt her?"

Arthur had seen those movies. Whenever his parents were gone for a while he'd be able to watch as much TV as he wanted. He found some of the scary movies that his dad never let him watch. Rated R and everything. After a night spent staring at the ceiling, Arthur decided that those were enough for him. He knew what happened to the people in those movies. 

_Would you like us to?_

"No!" Arthur shouted. He clapped a hand over his mouth, staring at the door. A few moments later he could hear their stairs creak as someone walked upstairs. His door opened and there was his mom, perfectly fine. 

"What are you shouting about?" She asked, crossing her arms in the doorway.

"I- I had a bad dream," Arthur managed. The thing was silent.

His mom huffed. "Go back to bed, Arthur." 

As soon as his door clicked shut, Arthur was up like a shot from bed. He rushed over to the little mirror on his desk and looked himself over. Despite the darkness it was still easy to see how freaked out he was. As he moved to get a better look, Arthur could've sworn his eyes glowed.

_They are the windows to the soul after all._

The voice in his head was too casual. It was like it was making fun of him for panicking.

"Stop reading my thoughts!" Arthur hissed, hands in his hair.

_Well you are thinking very loudly._

"What do you want?!"

_We already have what we want._

Arthur tried to keep calm, fists clenched at his sides. There had to be a way to get this thing out of his head. Maybe if he told his parents... He was already halfway to the door, knowing his mom would be downstairs still.

_Do you really think they'd believe you?_

He froze, still reaching for the doorknob. There was the feeling of something else. A foreign feeling coiling around his brain and settling in like a contented cat. His hand had fallen back to his side. Arthur didn't know if it was him doing it or not.

_We are older than anyone you know. Older than anyone you've heard of. Do you know how that helps us?_

Arthur bit his lip. Despite telling himself not to listen to the thing in his head, the hope of finding help downstairs was dwindling. His mom was already irritated. She'd probably just send him back to bed if he was lucky.

_We are a good judge of character._

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arthur whispered.

_She wasn't the one who tended to your wounds._

Arthur blinked, looking back down at his hands. They still stung when he moved his fingers. Moving back over to the mirror he spotted a bandage over his eye too. Huh, the cut was smaller than he thought it was. But why would it do that? When he asked as much the thing didn't answer for a moment. 

_Why wouldn't we?_

Frowning, Arthur turned back to his reflection. He poked at the bandage over his eye.

_We want to make a deal._

Well that didn't seem like a good idea at all. Arthur huffed and he was about to give it a piece of his mind but it seemed to know what he was going to do.

Abruptly he was moving. Something heavy had covered him head to toe, settling in. It's like his body wasn't even his anymore as he was forced to watch himself walk. By the time the they got to the bed again, Arthur was practically hyperventilating. Slowly, the thing used his body to pull back the covers and settle in again. Arthur only felt like himself again as it pulled the blankets up to his chin.

_This is for your benefit. We can just take what we want regardless._

Clutching the blankets tighter, Arthur shivered. It didn't even sound threatening, like it was just having a normal conversation. He was still terrified all the same. Even though Arthur knew it wasn't going to help, he pulled the blanket up and over his head and curled up. He squeezed his eyes shut as the thing continued.

_Sleep well. There will be time for talking later._

Arthur hugged his legs to his chest and tried to calm down. Despite the air being stuffy under the covers, he didn't emerge until morning. He didn't sleep a wink.


End file.
